Quick Facts
| Tuition Range | DKK 45,000 – DKK 120,000 per year (about €6,000 – €16,000) |
|---|---|
| Living Cost | About €1,000 – €1,700 per month |
| Student Visa Fee | DKK 3,060 (2026) |
| Intakes | September (main), February |
| Last Verified Date | November 10, 2026 |
Denmark offers small classes, project-based learning and more than 500 English-taught programmes in a country that consistently ranks among the world’s best places to live. The University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University lead eight universities, and Danish degrees are known for independent study and group work that applies ideas to real problems. The cost of living is high, and the post-study rules changed in 2026, so students should read the current rules carefully before choosing Denmark.
What it costs to study in Denmark
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland generally pay no tuition. Students from outside those areas usually pay DKK 45,000–120,000 a year, or about €6,000–€16,000, with the exact fee set by each institution. Living costs are high: Study in Denmark’s rough monthly budget lists rent of DKK 3,000–6,500 and food of DKK 2,000–3,500, plus books, transport, phone and insurance, and students usually spend about €1,000–€1,700 a month depending on the city. Housing is particularly difficult to find in larger cities around August and September, so start the search as soon as admission is confirmed. Danish government scholarships for non-EU and EEA full-degree students cover tuition and, in some cases, living costs, and each university awards them.
Residence permit and financial proof
Students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland need a residence permit for study from the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), applied for through newtodenmark.dk after admission. The 2026 application fee is DKK 3,060, and processing usually takes one to two months. Applicants must document funds of DKK 7,426 for each month of study at the 2026 level, up to DKK 89,112 for a programme longer than a year. From 2026, admission must be to a state-approved higher education programme to qualify for the permit. Undergraduate applications go through the national portal optagelse.dk, where applicants can choose up to eight programmes.
Working while you study
Non-EU students with a study permit may work up to 90 hours a month from September to May — about 20 hours a week — and full-time through June, July and August. Exceeding the limit can put the permit at risk. EU and EEA students have no hour limit. Student-level work typically pays about DKK 120–150 an hour, but part-time earnings should be treated as support for living costs, not as a way to pay tuition.
Staying on after graduation
Denmark’s post-study rules changed on 1 October 2026, and the date of the study-permit application decides which rule applies. Students who applied for their study permit before that date can receive a job-seeking residence permit of up to three years after completing a Danish degree, with the right to work and to start a business. Bachelor’s and master’s students who apply for their study permit on or after 1 October 2026 receive a one-year job-seeking permit and can no longer bring a partner or children; PhD graduates keep the three-year permit and family rights. Once a graduate finds a job meeting the Pay Limit Scheme, the permit converts to a work permit. Because this rule changed recently, confirm the current version on newtodenmark.dk before planning around it.
Applying
The main intake is September, with February starts for some programmes. The deadline on optagelse.dk for applicants with a non-Danish qualification is 15 March. More than 500 programmes are taught entirely in English, and universities commonly ask for about IELTS 6.5, with the exact band set by each programme. Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg are the main student cities, each with a different cost level and character.
Official source: Study in Denmark
